Nathan Cullen will run for NDP leadership

Municipal politicians from Haida Gwaii were in the room Friday morning as MP Nathan Cullen announced that he has decided to run for the leadership of the NDP.Mr. Cullen made the announcement at the downtown Vancouver campus of Simon Fraser University. Masset councillor Andrew Merilees said about 70 people turned out to support him, including several islanders who are in Vancouver this week for the annual Union of BC Municipalities conference.Mr. Merilees said the crowd was enthusiastic and interrupted his speech several times with applause and chanting “Nathan! Nathan!”Mr. Cullen spoke about the need to end divisive politics in Canada and to support good ideas regardless of the political party that puts them forward, Mr. Merilees said. He also told the crowd that growing up in Toronto and now living in the Skeena-Bulkley riding – which he described as “one of the more rural and beautiful regions of the country” – has given him the experience to see both sides of the urban and rural issues facing the country.